Extra features you will actually use!
Written: Jun 02 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of great features
Cons: Requires some set-up time
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| baphomet's Full Review: Motorola Timeport P8167 Cell Phone |
With so many cellular and PCS phones out there these days offering the latest and greatest bells and whistles, it's nice to find one that includes extra features that actually make your life easier and extend the use of your phone. I use the Timeport P8167 with Sprint's Free and Clear Service, and can't recommend it enough.
This little phone not only combines tons of features into a small package, but most of them actually do make your life easier. Its compact size and included holster make it easy to carry around or even slip into a pocket. Its dual-band signal is excellent, even allowing me to make calls from Mexico using manual analog roaming! The signal strength is usually very high and quality usually follows. (No more "underwater" phone calls!) The "Smart Button" allows you -- among other things -- to answer calls with a hands-free device while the unit is still folded... nice for mobility.
One of the most useful "extras" is a synch cable that allows you to share contact information between your phone, your desktop software and your Palm devices. No more typing your addresses into your PC, then scribbling them into your PDA, then punching them into your phone. (Let's face it, no matter how slick the interface, lots of alpha-numeric entry into a cell phone is a pain.) This was particularly useful because I had lots of pre-existing contact information, and within 5 minutes I had all those numbers in my new phone, too! Nice.
The Wireless Web browser is fun to use for checking email and getting stock quotes, but isn't terribly useful for much else. If you're going to use it, make sure you add the Wireless Web option to your service; you really don't want to be paying 39 cents a minute to check your free web-based mail, now do you?
This phone also comes standard with a PC connection kit that allows wireless Internet connections directly through the phone... perfect for laptop users. This kit retails for about $99, so if you purchase a cheaper phone and then decide you want the kit, you'll probably end up paying more over all. If you think you might ever use this service, I recommend going with the Timeport to begin with.
Is it perfect? Of course not. The interface is actually not that intuitive. Keep the manual close at hand for a while. The TrueSynch software also required a bit of diligence in order to use correctly; the first time I dumped information from my Palm device, it scattered the numbers throughout memory in a method that I'm still not sure of. However, once you get used to the many features and customize your phone the way that you like, the preparation is well worth it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
baphomet
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Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 5 members
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